Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz jar Roasted Red Peppers
  • 1 Shallot, diced
  • 3 tsp Garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
  • Black Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • Lemon Juice, Vinegar, or other acid
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Drain the jar of roasted peppers and place them in a blender. Add just enough stock or water to get them moving and blend until smooth.
  2. Optional: Pour pepper puree into a fine mesh strainer and use the back of a spoon to push them through. Discard any remaining puree that would not pass through the mesh.
  3. Optional: Pour pepper puree into a shallow dish. Place the dish into a chamber vacuum sealer and run one cycle to remove all the air that was whipped into the puree while blending.
  4. Warm a skillet with tall sides over medium heat. Melt some butter and add the shallots. Cook until the shallots begin to soften.
  5. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  6. Add pepper puree, dried basil, and black pepper. Continue cooking until the extra liquid has been cooked off and the puree begins to thicken, about 8-10 minutes.
  7. Add heavy cream and bring to a light simmer.
  8. Remove sauce from the heat. Stir in 1 tbsp of butter.
  9. Add a couple of drops of lemon juice or your preferred type of vinegar.
  10. Taste and adjust for salt
  11. Stir in approximately 1/3 lb of cooked pasta. Plate and garnish as you like

Notes

  • When finishing this sauce, we mount with butter to add richness and mouthfeel. Since the fat coats the palette it can deaden the flavors in the dish. So we add a small amount of acid to cut through the fat and brighten up the sauce. Finally, we adjust the salt to enhance the existing flavors.